by Laura Morgan
“Leave the door open, please,” Grayson called to Cassie. She could tell he needed her in his sight at all times, and pulled a face, but did as he asked. Grayson had seen her naked many times by now, and she wasn’t shy about stripping in front of the saleswoman. In an odd way, she was grateful for Victor’s dismissiveness of her body consciousness because it had helped her finally get over her issues, albeit forcefully.
“You are English?” the lady asked, helping Cassie out of her dress, and she nodded.
“Yes, do you speak any?” She was glad when the woman nodded.
“A little. This is good for your skin,” she told her, rolling her r’s softly. She laid a soft white satin dress against Cassie’s pale arm before replacing it with a piece of lace. The contrast was very different against her pink skin tone. The satin looked amazing, the two light colors complimenting one another, whereas the lace made her look even paler. The see-through fabric drained her of what little color she had, and Cassie could tell right away the satin would be the better choice.
“Thank you, can I try some in this material please?” Cassie replied. She smiled, and the woman quickly began lining up gowns for her to try.
After over an hour of trying on dress after dress, she finally found the perfect one. It was sophisticated, covering her cleavage, and flowing all the way down to the floor, with a split up one side. Even Grayson’s eyes lit up when he saw her in this dress. The woman gasped when she saw Cassie, so she knew right away she had to get this one.
“Perfect, and these,” the woman said, handing her a set of matching shoes and a clutch. “For lipstick.” She patted the small purse with a wink.
The dress was soon packed up, along with the shoes and purse. Grayson paid the bill while Cassie fiddled with some jewelry to the side of the register, trying on rings and bangles.
She’d adored being here, and even loved how long it had all taken. If she could’ve dragged out their shopping trip a little longer, she would have. Soon she would be back home, confined to her room.
Despite still feeling as though Victor had her in his own little prison, that room had also become her safe place. In there she was away from all the criminals and whores who lived in the complex with them. She understood he needed them all close. It was an unfortunate necessity, but she wished she had some freedom inside their walls. To be able to wander down to the pool and take a swim, or rest on a lounger whenever she wanted, was nothing more than a fantasy. Instead she stayed upstairs with her bodyguard, and the door forever locked.
When they left the store, Cassie having said a cheerful farewell to the kind owner, Grayson took her arm again and led her toward the car.
“You promised. Just one quick stop, I won’t be long.” She smiled up at him while batting her lashes, and he groaned, checking his watch.
“You’ve got ten minutes,” he replied, stowing the dress and the other boxes in the trunk. Cassie noticed there seemed to be one more than before. She only needed one for the dress, and a couple for the accessories. She wasn’t sure what else he might’ve bought, but didn’t say anything. Cassie had seen the woman delicately folding her new dress, and carefully wrapping her shoes and bag in tissue paper before boxing them, but nothing else. She wondered if perhaps she hadn’t noticed a jacket or sash being added while she was trying on the jewelry.
“Ten is all I need, GG,” Cassie replied, pulling him over the road toward a small art supply store. He hesitated, pulling her back, but she pressed on. “You promised,” Cassie reminded him before yanking him inside.
She picked out a few blank sketchpads in various sizes, a pack of pencils, and some pastel crayons. It was a tiny dent compared to what she would’ve bought if given the chance, but Cassie didn’t want to push her luck. She handed her small stack of things to the owner, who smiled kindly and began bagging them up. Grayson paid the man and then led her away, checking his watch again, and then depositing Cassie in the back of the car. He kept the bag of art supplies in the front with him, and gave Cassie a warning look when she leaned forward to grab them.
“I need to ask first,” he told her as he started the car and headed back in the direction of the complex.
“It’s not like I tried to buy a phone, or a computer, or something stupid. I just want to draw. I need something to occupy my time,” Cassie replied, pouting.
“I know, but I still gotta okay it,” Grayson said. He was then quiet for the rest of the journey. Cassie watched out the window as the small town faded away, and the barren land came back again.
When they reached the complex, Grayson led her upstairs with the boxes in his hands and the bag of art supplies hanging from his wrist. She longed to grab them, to put her fraught feelings onto the paper, and express herself the only way she truly knew how. Cassie had been creative her whole life. She’d studied art in college, and had loved her job painting and decorating sets on the West End and Broadway. Hopes of becoming an actress had never been a factor in any of it. Her passion had always been for the design and the artistic elements of the storytelling. She had helped with costume design and painted the actors’ faces, relishing anything creative she could get her hands on, and now she was itching to draw something, anything.
“Go take a shower,” Grayson told her once they were in her room, laughing when she pouted again and crossed her arms in a blatant huff. Cassie soon did as she was told, though. She sauntered off for a welcome blast of cool water against her sweat-dusted skin, and pulled her hair from its tight ponytail. After stripping and climbing in, Cassie rubbed the shower gel Victor had chosen for her all over her body. After a quick towel dry, she pulled on a robe and wandered back into the bedroom. The bag with the pads and pencils was placed casually on the table under the window, and Cassie longed to touch them, but didn’t dare.
Grayson had left her alone for now, no doubt giving Victor his report on their outing. Leaving the supplies where they were, she moved to the closet. Her lovely new dress hung there already, the shoes and bag not far away. Cassie ran her hands over the delicate satin of her new purchase, smiling to herself, and she hoped Victor would be pleased with her choice.
This one item was all hers. Cassie knew this dress would always signify her wonderful morning of freedom and Victor’s trust in her, and hoped she would always have it hanging in her closet to remind her of this lovely feeling. She soon began humming as she pulled on some panties and a bra, one of the Broadway show tunes she knew all too well from her days working behind the scenes. Before long, she was singing at the top of her lungs in a vibrant, operatic tone, a talent she rarely showed off. She picked a bright pink dress to wear, the color matching her bright mood, and she stepped out to find Victor standing inside the doorway waiting for her, his face like thunder.
“Victor, baby. I didn’t hear you come in. I’m sorry, I would’ve greeted you sooner,” she said, feeling nervous under his dark gaze. She stepped closer, trying to read him.
“Why do you want those things?” he asked, looking over her shoulder at the bag of supplies, and she cringed. Cassie knew she should’ve asked him first, but when she’d seen that store, she hadn’t been able to help herself.
“You know I draw and paint pictures. I just want to be able to let out some of my creativity, and you were so generous letting me go and buy that dress today, I wanted to give you a present in return. I want to draw for you.” She closed the gap and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
“You just want to draw?” he asked, looking slightly confused.
“Yes, that’s all. You can look at every single thing I do. I won’t tear out any pages to put in the bin. You can check everything,” she told him, laying a soft kiss on his lips, and Cassie felt Victor begin to relax. “You can trust me, baby. I’m all yours.”
“Yes, you’re mine.” He grabbed Cassie by the waist and pulled her against his powerful body. The breath rushed out of her, but he held her tight, seeming unwilling to let her go. Cassie let him, hoping he was enjoying her touch and
the feel of her lips against his.
“Let me show you.” Her voice was quiet, full of need, and he thrust his hands into her hair. He yanked her head back and devoured her, sliding his tongue inside and commanding every one of her senses.
“Get on the bed,” he murmured into her parted lips, grinning darkly. “And I want that dress gone,” Victor added, following her over to her huge bed. Cassie did as he asked, pulling off the dress. Just as she was about to climb up onto the silk sheets, Victor’s hand grabbed her neck from behind. The other came around in front, and held his thick, curved knife to her throat. She hadn’t even heard him remove it from the sheath, but she stayed perfectly still while she waited for his next move. Fear rose up, creating that strange numbness again, and Cassie could tell he was surprised to find her taking slow, calm breaths.
“To be a true submissive is to be both rewarded and punished by your master,” Victor whispered in her ear. “But the dominator needs to own every inch of their sub’s body. Every thought and feeling you have belongs to me. I thought we’d gotten rid of your demons, Cassie. If we had, you wouldn’t have these urges to disobey me. You made the decision to buy those things without asking me first, which is a clear sign you’re still resisting my ownership of you. It’s time you were punished.”
“No, baby. Please,” Cassie whimpered, her body starting to tremble. Victor silenced her pleas when he dug the knife into her neck. She could tell it was only the blunt edge against her skin, but still Victor was deadly with it. She didn’t dare underestimate him, or his ability to cut her in whatever way he pleased, knowing she’d never be able to fight back.
“My brother gave me this knife. He trained me to use it, and since that day I’ve been a killer, a drug-dealer, and a cold-hearted gangster. But since you came into my life, this knife has become something more. It is a constant reminder of who I am now, rather than who I used to be.” He ground his hips into hers, pushing his hard-on against her ass, and Cassie groaned. Her hands reached back and found his hips, gripping them hard.
“I used the same knife Luis gave me to murder him in cold blood, and I did it for you.” Victor pulled the knife away and pushed her down on the bed. He flipped her over and slid the knife over her trembling face and torso. Victor didn’t cut her, but she held still and panted, satisfying his dominant urges. He couldn't seem to resist pushing her harder, and continued down to her panties. Victor sliced right through the sides of the material and pushed Cassie’s thighs open. He lowered the material covering her mound, leaving her completely on show to him, but she didn’t dare shy away.
She cried out and tears fell down her temples when Victor slid the knife over her opening. He delicately traced the lines of her scars with the blade while she completely fell apart. The frenzy of fear, anger, and the traumatic auto-response to the blade’s touch overwhelmed her. All Cassie could think about was Jonah. The memory of the blinding pain when he’d cut into her body, and the vision of blood as it had pooled between her thighs made her scream.
“Your past suffering is mine now, Cassie. Let it go, and don’t ever let it hurt you again. I own that memory, along with all your past, present, and future. Trust me to take care of everything.” Victor pressed one of the flat sides of the cold metal against her core, and she cried out in shock.
Cassie’s tears quickly ceased, her mind stopped racing, and her body finished its trembling. She suddenly felt calm. The knife was still there, the pressure on her clit was undeniable. She hated knowing a blade was against her intimate area again, but at the same time, she trusted Victor was not going to hurt her with it. She leaned up onto her elbows and peered down at him, her face puffy from the tears, but she was now strangely calm. It was though a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
“You won’t hurt me, will you, baby?” she said, more of a statement than a question. “I can trust you.” Cassie stared into Victor’s deep brown eyes, and he nodded. He pulled the knife away from her and slipped it back into its sheath on his hip.
Victor climbed over her on the bed, unbuttoning his pants as he went, and pressed his rock-hard length into her now very wet opening. They both came quickly, Cassie shocking herself after already unraveling in other ways thanks to his forceful tactics. Victor then held her for a while afterward, soothing his lover as she held onto him tight, feeling raw and desperate for his loving embrace.
Chapter 27
“I cannot stay, my love. I’ll see you later for the party. Wear your new dress, and do everything Grayson asks of you. Never forget your promises to me,” Victor told her, climbing out of bed.
“Never,” Cassie whispered, kissing him again. He pushed her away gently, as though having to force himself to step away, and he left, locking the door behind him. She still felt very strange at having taken a huge step in her submission, but was glad she’d trusted him. Despite his severe tactics, she felt happy and free.
She was glad she was able to calm Victor down and appease his paranoia regarding her purchases. Cassie wondered what he presumed she was planning on doing with them. Surely he couldn't think she would be sending letters to Leo somehow? Or perhaps he had convinced himself she would pass notes with cries for help written inside to shop keepers and maids? Either way, she wasn’t that stupid. Cassie knew she was playing the long game here, her time as Victor’s lover locked up in her tower was frighteningly infinite. If she ever left the confines of this place, it would only be after countless hours of planning, or perhaps if Leo ever attempted a rescue.
Despite their recent progression, Cassie was sure if she ever managed to pull the wool over Victor’s eyes and carry out a cunning escape, it would only be after years of perfecting her role, and having gained his trust. The element of surprise would be the only thing she would ever have going for her.
Cassie spent the rest of the early afternoon drawing in her new sketchpad. She felt wonderful, enjoying as she let her mind wander, and the pictures soon came into fruition on the page. She was careful not to draw Leo, even though his face was still constantly on her mind. She drew Hanna and Jamie as two star-crossed lovers, finding their way to each other through a dark and dismal village. On the very first page, though, sat Victor’s portrait. She drew every contour of his face perfectly, every line of his smile, and the glint he had in his eye when he looked at her. This was her favorite look of his by far, the gaze she was rewarded with when her domineering lover was pleased with her. She took more time on his drawing than any of the others. This one needed to be perfect.
“That’s amazing,” Grayson said from behind her, making Cassie jump. She blinked up at him, having to focus her eyes after working so closely for hours. The time had whizzed by at super-speed, something she was grateful for, because it let her know she needn’t be bored during her long days of solitude in the future. Victor had given her this, and she endeavored to never give him a reason to take it away again.
“Thanks, GG. Is it time to get changed already?” She checked the clock on the wall, and he nodded.
“Clean your hands first,” he joked, pointing at her pastel-covered hands, with smudges that went all the way up to her elbow on her left arm. Cassie laughed and stood, heading off to the bathroom to get cleaned up. While in there, she also washed her face, reviving her tired mind, and stared into the mirror. Her real self was reflected back at her. Cassie was shocked, and tried desperately to get back into the character she’d created for herself, but the realization dawned on her, she no longer had a role to play. This was her now. She had become Victor’s submissive lover for real. Cassie had crossed over from acting, to it becoming real without realizing it, and it scared the hell out of her.
In that moment, she knew she’d lost herself to him, and didn’t know if she would ever find her old self again. There was a part of her that liked this new safe numbness, though. Leo had never taken her fears away, like Victor had today. As hard as it was to admit to herself, Leo had only seemed to add to her burdens, and the part of herself that missed
him diminished a tad as resentment took its place.
Cassie realized she’d been staring into the mirror for a long while, and shook it off. She finished up, spraying herself with a fresh layer of deodorant, and putting on a generous layer of body lotion before heading back into the bedroom. Grayson was waiting for her, the new dress at the ready, and she stepped into it. He zipped up the back and ran his fingers through her long hair, teasing the waves gently to check they looked good against the white satin.
“Hmm, up or down?” he mumbled, looking over Cassie’s shoulder into the mirror, and she turned her head from side to side.
“I think it looks nice down. What do you think Victor will like?”
“I very much doubt he’ll even notice,” Grayson replied, making Cassie blush. He touched up her makeup and pinned the front of her hair back in some bejeweled clips. He pulled it away from her face slightly, rather than tie it up, and seemed pleased with the results.
Before long, she was sliding into her new shoes and holding her clutch at the ready. Grayson stood beside her, offering Cassie his arm. She was surprised Victor had not come for her himself, but she took his elbow without question. The two of them strolled down the empty hallway and through the eerily quiet foyer, heading toward the front of the mansion where Grayson helped her into the waiting car.
“Victor’s meeting us there,” he told her, smiling as he took the driver’s seat and drove them out of the complex. They headed back in the direction they’d driven toward the small town, but carried on past it for a long while. Cassie wasn’t sure where they were going, or what to expect when she got there, but hoped their evening out would be fun. She envisioned lots of beautiful gowns, posh Mexican men wearing tuxedos and smoking cigars, but soon realized she had no idea of the kinds of parties Victor attended outside the complex. Other much more sordid ideas soon filled her mind. Cassie imagined masquerade balls where the attendees swapped partners, one of the few types of parties she’d refused in Manhattan. She imagined rooms full of sweaty men all pawing at their dates, the very idea making her skin crawl.